Mary Wallace Thomason Morris, 78, of Front Royal, Virginia passed away on Monday, July 31, 2023.
She was born in Front Royal on May 26, 1945, to Wallace B. and Vera G. Biggs Thomason and was a 1963 Warren County High School graduate.
Mary was an accomplished and passionate local historian and published genealogist with many research credits to her name. For nearly 40 years, Mary enjoyed working as an archivist and historian in her beloved Shenandoah Valley, at the Warren Heritage Society, Handley Library Archives, and, most extensively, 33 years at the Clarke County Historical Association.
For the last 48+ years, Mary was a proud Navy wife to Maynard S. "Skip" Morris Jr, though he has loved her since they were kids. Aside from her husband, Mary leaves behind their daughter, Jane Morris Kennedy and her husband, Mark; three grandchildren, Madelyn, Sean, and William "Riley" Kennedy; as well as many special cousins. Mary spent her final days at peace, surrounded by her loved ones at her daughter's Star Tannery, Virginia home.
She was previously married to Howard William Hockman, Jr. from 1966 to 1974.
Mary was a life-long advocate and lover of animals, especially cats. In lieu of flowers, please send donations "In memory of Mary Thomason Morris" to the Humane Society of Warren County or contribute to the Mary Thomason Morris Memorial fundraiser on Facebook.
Please join us in celebrating Mary's life on August 24, 2023, from 3-5 pm at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, VA.
An obituary was published in the Royal Examiner on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 and in the Northern Virginia Daily and Winchester Star the following day.∼BERRYVILLE - "Trees reach for the sky, but they have to have roots to hold them up," Mary Morris told people when encouraging them to research their lineages.
Mary Wallace Thomason Morris spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association (CCHA) before retiring in 2019. She was 78 years old when she died earlier this week.
Mary was born in Front Royal Virginia on May 26, 1945, daughter of the late Wallace B. Thomason and Vera Gertrude Biggs Thomason. She was a 1963 graduate of Warren County High School in Front Royal.
"Over the decades," a post on the county's Facebook page reads, "Mary quietly and methodically collected, researched, wrote and archived the stories, images and relics that tell the rich history of Clarke County."
The post continues, "She graciously and tirelessly shared her knowledge about life in the Northern Shenandoah Valley through the centuries with anyone who asked" - from professional historians and archaeologists to everyday folks who stopped by the CCHA's offices in the Coiner House on East Main Street in Berryville.
Yet genealogy, the study of family history, was her passion.
Morris became interested in genealogy after her father gave her a list of family names, spurring her to do research that eventually revealed more than 4,600 relatives on both sides of her family.
"I didn't stop collecting information," she told The Winchester Star when she retired. "The more I got, the more I wanted."
Often when tracing their family trees, people realize their ancestors left behind only "their butt prints on the side of the road," but they had interesting lives, she said candidly during the interview.
Morris simultaneously worked for the Handley Regional Library System, the Warren (County) Heritage Society and the CCHA in the late 1980s. She went to work full-time for the latter in 1990.
"She basically put together the entire CCHA archives by herself," recalled Maral Kalbian, Clarke County's official architectural historian.
Throughout the years, Morris published several books, including an index of area obituaries.
Her works have become "really valuable resources for researchers," Kalbian said.
She became well-known in the community, too.
"Everybody knew her, and Mary knew everybody," said CCHA Executive Director Nathan Stalvey. "She just had a way of connecting everyone in Clarke County with their family histories."
Berryville Community Development Director Christy Dunkle said Morris always was "ready to stop, drop and roll" whenever anyone called upon her for assistance.
"She was so enthusiastic to share her knowledge (of local history) with people," Kalbian said.
And, "she didn't do it for any personal recognition," Stalvey said. "She just loved it."
People noticed her devotion, sincerity and joviality, and they gravitated to her, he said.
"Mary was a great human being, kind and giving to others," said Kalbian.
Stalvey's fondest memories of Morris include times when they teased each other and discussed things other than work, including her love of baseball. She was a devoted Washington Nationals fan, he said.
One time after his favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, beat the Nationals, he came into work early and affixed the Dodgers' logo on a broom and the Nationals' logo in a dustpan. Three months later, the Nationals achieved victory over the Dodgers and she returned the favor, so to speak. He came into work and found the Nationals' logo on the broom handle and the Dodgers' logo in the pan.
He also enjoyed talking to her about personal matters.
"Mary was a very grounded person," Stalvey said. "She could put things into perspective."
In 2016, Morris was awarded the Heritage Hero Award by the Mosby Heritage Area Association. The award is presented to people who demonstrate over many years responsible stewardship of historic resources in the region.
She received the CCHA's Professional Achievement Award in 2004.
Kalbian recalled Morris frequently inserting unique expressions - like the one about the tree roots - into her conversations. For instance, she would ask Morris, "How are you doing?" Morris would then reply, "Fair to middling."
Common among Southern rural dwellers, that idiom has meanings ranging from "so-so" to "can't complain."
However, Kalbian said she never heard it before Morris said it to her for the first time.
Never mind how Morris described her general state of being, though.
"Mary had a great attitude," Kalbian said. "She was always upbeat." Her passing is "so sad," she added.
David Weiss, chairman of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, called Morris "a wonderful woman who provided untold service for the county and its citizens.'
"Her wealth of knowledge will be missed," said Weiss. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."
Mary Morris, who spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association, is pictured in 2016 in the association's museum in Berryville. Morris died this week. She was 78.
Published in the Winchester Star on Friday, August 4, 2023.
She was born in Front Royal on May 26, 1945, to Wallace B. and Vera G. Biggs Thomason and was a 1963 Warren County High School graduate.
Mary was an accomplished and passionate local historian and published genealogist with many research credits to her name. For nearly 40 years, Mary enjoyed working as an archivist and historian in her beloved Shenandoah Valley, at the Warren Heritage Society, Handley Library Archives, and, most extensively, 33 years at the Clarke County Historical Association.
For the last 48+ years, Mary was a proud Navy wife to Maynard S. "Skip" Morris Jr, though he has loved her since they were kids. Aside from her husband, Mary leaves behind their daughter, Jane Morris Kennedy and her husband, Mark; three grandchildren, Madelyn, Sean, and William "Riley" Kennedy; as well as many special cousins. Mary spent her final days at peace, surrounded by her loved ones at her daughter's Star Tannery, Virginia home.
She was previously married to Howard William Hockman, Jr. from 1966 to 1974.
Mary was a life-long advocate and lover of animals, especially cats. In lieu of flowers, please send donations "In memory of Mary Thomason Morris" to the Humane Society of Warren County or contribute to the Mary Thomason Morris Memorial fundraiser on Facebook.
Please join us in celebrating Mary's life on August 24, 2023, from 3-5 pm at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, VA.
An obituary was published in the Royal Examiner on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 and in the Northern Virginia Daily and Winchester Star the following day.∼BERRYVILLE - "Trees reach for the sky, but they have to have roots to hold them up," Mary Morris told people when encouraging them to research their lineages.
Mary Wallace Thomason Morris spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association (CCHA) before retiring in 2019. She was 78 years old when she died earlier this week.
Mary was born in Front Royal Virginia on May 26, 1945, daughter of the late Wallace B. Thomason and Vera Gertrude Biggs Thomason. She was a 1963 graduate of Warren County High School in Front Royal.
"Over the decades," a post on the county's Facebook page reads, "Mary quietly and methodically collected, researched, wrote and archived the stories, images and relics that tell the rich history of Clarke County."
The post continues, "She graciously and tirelessly shared her knowledge about life in the Northern Shenandoah Valley through the centuries with anyone who asked" - from professional historians and archaeologists to everyday folks who stopped by the CCHA's offices in the Coiner House on East Main Street in Berryville.
Yet genealogy, the study of family history, was her passion.
Morris became interested in genealogy after her father gave her a list of family names, spurring her to do research that eventually revealed more than 4,600 relatives on both sides of her family.
"I didn't stop collecting information," she told The Winchester Star when she retired. "The more I got, the more I wanted."
Often when tracing their family trees, people realize their ancestors left behind only "their butt prints on the side of the road," but they had interesting lives, she said candidly during the interview.
Morris simultaneously worked for the Handley Regional Library System, the Warren (County) Heritage Society and the CCHA in the late 1980s. She went to work full-time for the latter in 1990.
"She basically put together the entire CCHA archives by herself," recalled Maral Kalbian, Clarke County's official architectural historian.
Throughout the years, Morris published several books, including an index of area obituaries.
Her works have become "really valuable resources for researchers," Kalbian said.
She became well-known in the community, too.
"Everybody knew her, and Mary knew everybody," said CCHA Executive Director Nathan Stalvey. "She just had a way of connecting everyone in Clarke County with their family histories."
Berryville Community Development Director Christy Dunkle said Morris always was "ready to stop, drop and roll" whenever anyone called upon her for assistance.
"She was so enthusiastic to share her knowledge (of local history) with people," Kalbian said.
And, "she didn't do it for any personal recognition," Stalvey said. "She just loved it."
People noticed her devotion, sincerity and joviality, and they gravitated to her, he said.
"Mary was a great human being, kind and giving to others," said Kalbian.
Stalvey's fondest memories of Morris include times when they teased each other and discussed things other than work, including her love of baseball. She was a devoted Washington Nationals fan, he said.
One time after his favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, beat the Nationals, he came into work early and affixed the Dodgers' logo on a broom and the Nationals' logo in a dustpan. Three months later, the Nationals achieved victory over the Dodgers and she returned the favor, so to speak. He came into work and found the Nationals' logo on the broom handle and the Dodgers' logo in the pan.
He also enjoyed talking to her about personal matters.
"Mary was a very grounded person," Stalvey said. "She could put things into perspective."
In 2016, Morris was awarded the Heritage Hero Award by the Mosby Heritage Area Association. The award is presented to people who demonstrate over many years responsible stewardship of historic resources in the region.
She received the CCHA's Professional Achievement Award in 2004.
Kalbian recalled Morris frequently inserting unique expressions - like the one about the tree roots - into her conversations. For instance, she would ask Morris, "How are you doing?" Morris would then reply, "Fair to middling."
Common among Southern rural dwellers, that idiom has meanings ranging from "so-so" to "can't complain."
However, Kalbian said she never heard it before Morris said it to her for the first time.
Never mind how Morris described her general state of being, though.
"Mary had a great attitude," Kalbian said. "She was always upbeat." Her passing is "so sad," she added.
David Weiss, chairman of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, called Morris "a wonderful woman who provided untold service for the county and its citizens.'
"Her wealth of knowledge will be missed," said Weiss. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."
Mary Morris, who spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association, is pictured in 2016 in the association's museum in Berryville. Morris died this week. She was 78.
Published in the Winchester Star on Friday, August 4, 2023.
Mary Wallace Thomason Morris, 78, of Front Royal, Virginia passed away on Monday, July 31, 2023.
She was born in Front Royal on May 26, 1945, to Wallace B. and Vera G. Biggs Thomason and was a 1963 Warren County High School graduate.
Mary was an accomplished and passionate local historian and published genealogist with many research credits to her name. For nearly 40 years, Mary enjoyed working as an archivist and historian in her beloved Shenandoah Valley, at the Warren Heritage Society, Handley Library Archives, and, most extensively, 33 years at the Clarke County Historical Association.
For the last 48+ years, Mary was a proud Navy wife to Maynard S. "Skip" Morris Jr, though he has loved her since they were kids. Aside from her husband, Mary leaves behind their daughter, Jane Morris Kennedy and her husband, Mark; three grandchildren, Madelyn, Sean, and William "Riley" Kennedy; as well as many special cousins. Mary spent her final days at peace, surrounded by her loved ones at her daughter's Star Tannery, Virginia home.
She was previously married to Howard William Hockman, Jr. from 1966 to 1974.
Mary was a life-long advocate and lover of animals, especially cats. In lieu of flowers, please send donations "In memory of Mary Thomason Morris" to the Humane Society of Warren County or contribute to the Mary Thomason Morris Memorial fundraiser on Facebook.
Please join us in celebrating Mary's life on August 24, 2023, from 3-5 pm at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, VA.
An obituary was published in the Royal Examiner on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 and in the Northern Virginia Daily and Winchester Star the following day.∼BERRYVILLE - "Trees reach for the sky, but they have to have roots to hold them up," Mary Morris told people when encouraging them to research their lineages.
Mary Wallace Thomason Morris spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association (CCHA) before retiring in 2019. She was 78 years old when she died earlier this week.
Mary was born in Front Royal Virginia on May 26, 1945, daughter of the late Wallace B. Thomason and Vera Gertrude Biggs Thomason. She was a 1963 graduate of Warren County High School in Front Royal.
"Over the decades," a post on the county's Facebook page reads, "Mary quietly and methodically collected, researched, wrote and archived the stories, images and relics that tell the rich history of Clarke County."
The post continues, "She graciously and tirelessly shared her knowledge about life in the Northern Shenandoah Valley through the centuries with anyone who asked" - from professional historians and archaeologists to everyday folks who stopped by the CCHA's offices in the Coiner House on East Main Street in Berryville.
Yet genealogy, the study of family history, was her passion.
Morris became interested in genealogy after her father gave her a list of family names, spurring her to do research that eventually revealed more than 4,600 relatives on both sides of her family.
"I didn't stop collecting information," she told The Winchester Star when she retired. "The more I got, the more I wanted."
Often when tracing their family trees, people realize their ancestors left behind only "their butt prints on the side of the road," but they had interesting lives, she said candidly during the interview.
Morris simultaneously worked for the Handley Regional Library System, the Warren (County) Heritage Society and the CCHA in the late 1980s. She went to work full-time for the latter in 1990.
"She basically put together the entire CCHA archives by herself," recalled Maral Kalbian, Clarke County's official architectural historian.
Throughout the years, Morris published several books, including an index of area obituaries.
Her works have become "really valuable resources for researchers," Kalbian said.
She became well-known in the community, too.
"Everybody knew her, and Mary knew everybody," said CCHA Executive Director Nathan Stalvey. "She just had a way of connecting everyone in Clarke County with their family histories."
Berryville Community Development Director Christy Dunkle said Morris always was "ready to stop, drop and roll" whenever anyone called upon her for assistance.
"She was so enthusiastic to share her knowledge (of local history) with people," Kalbian said.
And, "she didn't do it for any personal recognition," Stalvey said. "She just loved it."
People noticed her devotion, sincerity and joviality, and they gravitated to her, he said.
"Mary was a great human being, kind and giving to others," said Kalbian.
Stalvey's fondest memories of Morris include times when they teased each other and discussed things other than work, including her love of baseball. She was a devoted Washington Nationals fan, he said.
One time after his favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, beat the Nationals, he came into work early and affixed the Dodgers' logo on a broom and the Nationals' logo in a dustpan. Three months later, the Nationals achieved victory over the Dodgers and she returned the favor, so to speak. He came into work and found the Nationals' logo on the broom handle and the Dodgers' logo in the pan.
He also enjoyed talking to her about personal matters.
"Mary was a very grounded person," Stalvey said. "She could put things into perspective."
In 2016, Morris was awarded the Heritage Hero Award by the Mosby Heritage Area Association. The award is presented to people who demonstrate over many years responsible stewardship of historic resources in the region.
She received the CCHA's Professional Achievement Award in 2004.
Kalbian recalled Morris frequently inserting unique expressions - like the one about the tree roots - into her conversations. For instance, she would ask Morris, "How are you doing?" Morris would then reply, "Fair to middling."
Common among Southern rural dwellers, that idiom has meanings ranging from "so-so" to "can't complain."
However, Kalbian said she never heard it before Morris said it to her for the first time.
Never mind how Morris described her general state of being, though.
"Mary had a great attitude," Kalbian said. "She was always upbeat." Her passing is "so sad," she added.
David Weiss, chairman of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, called Morris "a wonderful woman who provided untold service for the county and its citizens.'
"Her wealth of knowledge will be missed," said Weiss. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."
Mary Morris, who spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association, is pictured in 2016 in the association's museum in Berryville. Morris died this week. She was 78.
Published in the Winchester Star on Friday, August 4, 2023.
She was born in Front Royal on May 26, 1945, to Wallace B. and Vera G. Biggs Thomason and was a 1963 Warren County High School graduate.
Mary was an accomplished and passionate local historian and published genealogist with many research credits to her name. For nearly 40 years, Mary enjoyed working as an archivist and historian in her beloved Shenandoah Valley, at the Warren Heritage Society, Handley Library Archives, and, most extensively, 33 years at the Clarke County Historical Association.
For the last 48+ years, Mary was a proud Navy wife to Maynard S. "Skip" Morris Jr, though he has loved her since they were kids. Aside from her husband, Mary leaves behind their daughter, Jane Morris Kennedy and her husband, Mark; three grandchildren, Madelyn, Sean, and William "Riley" Kennedy; as well as many special cousins. Mary spent her final days at peace, surrounded by her loved ones at her daughter's Star Tannery, Virginia home.
She was previously married to Howard William Hockman, Jr. from 1966 to 1974.
Mary was a life-long advocate and lover of animals, especially cats. In lieu of flowers, please send donations "In memory of Mary Thomason Morris" to the Humane Society of Warren County or contribute to the Mary Thomason Morris Memorial fundraiser on Facebook.
Please join us in celebrating Mary's life on August 24, 2023, from 3-5 pm at the Burwell-Morgan Mill in Millwood, VA.
An obituary was published in the Royal Examiner on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 and in the Northern Virginia Daily and Winchester Star the following day.∼BERRYVILLE - "Trees reach for the sky, but they have to have roots to hold them up," Mary Morris told people when encouraging them to research their lineages.
Mary Wallace Thomason Morris spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association (CCHA) before retiring in 2019. She was 78 years old when she died earlier this week.
Mary was born in Front Royal Virginia on May 26, 1945, daughter of the late Wallace B. Thomason and Vera Gertrude Biggs Thomason. She was a 1963 graduate of Warren County High School in Front Royal.
"Over the decades," a post on the county's Facebook page reads, "Mary quietly and methodically collected, researched, wrote and archived the stories, images and relics that tell the rich history of Clarke County."
The post continues, "She graciously and tirelessly shared her knowledge about life in the Northern Shenandoah Valley through the centuries with anyone who asked" - from professional historians and archaeologists to everyday folks who stopped by the CCHA's offices in the Coiner House on East Main Street in Berryville.
Yet genealogy, the study of family history, was her passion.
Morris became interested in genealogy after her father gave her a list of family names, spurring her to do research that eventually revealed more than 4,600 relatives on both sides of her family.
"I didn't stop collecting information," she told The Winchester Star when she retired. "The more I got, the more I wanted."
Often when tracing their family trees, people realize their ancestors left behind only "their butt prints on the side of the road," but they had interesting lives, she said candidly during the interview.
Morris simultaneously worked for the Handley Regional Library System, the Warren (County) Heritage Society and the CCHA in the late 1980s. She went to work full-time for the latter in 1990.
"She basically put together the entire CCHA archives by herself," recalled Maral Kalbian, Clarke County's official architectural historian.
Throughout the years, Morris published several books, including an index of area obituaries.
Her works have become "really valuable resources for researchers," Kalbian said.
She became well-known in the community, too.
"Everybody knew her, and Mary knew everybody," said CCHA Executive Director Nathan Stalvey. "She just had a way of connecting everyone in Clarke County with their family histories."
Berryville Community Development Director Christy Dunkle said Morris always was "ready to stop, drop and roll" whenever anyone called upon her for assistance.
"She was so enthusiastic to share her knowledge (of local history) with people," Kalbian said.
And, "she didn't do it for any personal recognition," Stalvey said. "She just loved it."
People noticed her devotion, sincerity and joviality, and they gravitated to her, he said.
"Mary was a great human being, kind and giving to others," said Kalbian.
Stalvey's fondest memories of Morris include times when they teased each other and discussed things other than work, including her love of baseball. She was a devoted Washington Nationals fan, he said.
One time after his favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, beat the Nationals, he came into work early and affixed the Dodgers' logo on a broom and the Nationals' logo in a dustpan. Three months later, the Nationals achieved victory over the Dodgers and she returned the favor, so to speak. He came into work and found the Nationals' logo on the broom handle and the Dodgers' logo in the pan.
He also enjoyed talking to her about personal matters.
"Mary was a very grounded person," Stalvey said. "She could put things into perspective."
In 2016, Morris was awarded the Heritage Hero Award by the Mosby Heritage Area Association. The award is presented to people who demonstrate over many years responsible stewardship of historic resources in the region.
She received the CCHA's Professional Achievement Award in 2004.
Kalbian recalled Morris frequently inserting unique expressions - like the one about the tree roots - into her conversations. For instance, she would ask Morris, "How are you doing?" Morris would then reply, "Fair to middling."
Common among Southern rural dwellers, that idiom has meanings ranging from "so-so" to "can't complain."
However, Kalbian said she never heard it before Morris said it to her for the first time.
Never mind how Morris described her general state of being, though.
"Mary had a great attitude," Kalbian said. "She was always upbeat." Her passing is "so sad," she added.
David Weiss, chairman of the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, called Morris "a wonderful woman who provided untold service for the county and its citizens.'
"Her wealth of knowledge will be missed," said Weiss. "Our thoughts and prayers are with her family."
Mary Morris, who spent more than 30 years as archivist for the Clarke County Historical Association, is pictured in 2016 in the association's museum in Berryville. Morris died this week. She was 78.
Published in the Winchester Star on Friday, August 4, 2023.
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